Courage in a box
by The Duckster
Summary: Missing Moment HBP After Cormick tells Hermione to 'wear something pretty' on their date to Slughorn's party she stresses about what to wear. Could silk charmeuse be more terrifying than a bunch of Death Eaters?


Title: Courage in a box

**Fandom: **Harry Potter

Characters: Hermione and Ginny

**Prompt:**Insides

Word Count:1594

Rating:T

Summary:After Cormick tells Hermione to _'wear something pretty' _on their date to Slughorn's party she stresses about what to wear. Could silk charmeuse be more terrifying than a bunch of Death Eaters?

Author's Notes:I hope I don't loose anyone reading this. Can you tell I'm a fashion designer? I went and edited out the crap about seams the fall of the cross grain circle skirt. It's rather pathetic I know but I actually drew up the dress and everything.

**Courage in a box**

Hermione stood staring into her trunk attempting to will something '_pretty_' into existence inside. Who was she kidding? She didn't have anything outside of her mandatory school uniform besides a various assortment of jeans, t-shirts and multi hued woolen socks. She thought of the package under her bed, still wrapped in the brown paper the store had sent it in. _'No'_ she scolded herself for even considering it. She picked up a t-shirt and wondered if she could transfigure it into a party dress. She had seen the other girls performing minor charms to their clothes to improve their fit but as smart as she was she had never taken the time to learn the basic theory behind the typical beauty charms the other girls had seemed to master years ago. She was saved by a light knocking on the door frame. Ginny stood in the open door way grinned up at her.

"I know what you're thinking and I wouldn't try it"

"You don't know what I'm thinking." Hermione huffed defensively.

"Oh yes I do, it doesn't take a legilimance to know what is racing through your mind. You have that tell tale look of desperation a girl only gets by having nothing to wear." Ginny walked across the room as she spoke and sat at the end of her bed.

"What am I going to do? I have absolutely nothing to wear! According to McLaggen I am suppose to _'wear something pretty'_ and I don't have anything outside the realm of school uniforms and denims. It's ridiculous!" Hermione was not typically a whiner by nature and it was very irritating to hear her voice get all high pitched and annoying.

"That is a lie. You and I both know there is a very beautiful dress at your disposal you are refusing to consider."

"No, I would rather ask Lavender for a make over than open that box." She said this through gritted teeth and narrowed eyes.

"Well I guess you'll have to do that because I am not loaning you anything of mine when you insist on being so stubborn." Ginny crossed her out-stretched legs and leaned again Hermione's headboard. "Don't even think of asking any of the others either, I am much nicer to them than you are and I know there is no way you're going to grovel and beg to all the 7th and 5th years about needing a dress. You have too much pride for that. It's Lavender and Pavarti or the fantastic dress I am guessing you have stashed under your bed still wrapped up."

"I hate you sometimes. Weasley's by nature are annoying." Hermione grumbled as Ginny clapped her hands in triumph.

"Don't let my mum hear you say that." Ginny's voice was muffled a little by having flipped upside down off the side of the bed as she grabbed for the package underneath. "She might not make you a Weasley sweater for Christmas."

"I have never received a Weasley sweater for Christmas and I highly doubt if she would argue with my statement if she were privy to all the facts regarding the situation." Hermione was a little glum at the admission she's never been included as part of the Weasley hord. As much as she hated to admit it, it always bothered her Harry was so much more welcomed than she had been. Despite knowing Harry needed family more than she did, she had still spent more time with the Weasleys over the last several holidays than with her parents and it would just be nice.

Ginny, to her credit seemed to understand the meaning behind Hermione's protest. "You'll get yours someday Hermione, don't worry. It'll just take a little while." Hermione thanked her surrogate sister with a half smile and Ginny knew it was time to move on. "There is no reason for this lovely dress to be stashed under your bed while you moan about having nothing to wear. If I remembered correctly you did in fact buy this dress for the event taking place tonight you are currently complaining about having an no outfit for."

"You know for a fact that when I bought that dress I thought I was going with someone else. The contents inside that box were meant for him to see me in. Not bloody McLaggen." She fingered the string wrapped around the simple brown paper.

"Bravo Hermione! I don't care if the logic behind it is daft, I got chills from hearing your curse. You're excellent at it, you should try it more often." The two girls chucked a bit and Hermione's face grew a little red. "Come on I am not going to force you to wear whats inside this box, but I won't coddle you about it either." Hermione continued to finger the string tied around the box. "Besides, if you think about it, it's very likely a certain quiddich keeper, who shall remain nameless, will be down in the common room at 7:30 and it is only logical that he will see you in this dress and your original purpose will be served."

Hermione grinned and tugged at the string. "The point was for him to not be able to keep his hands off me, that purpose is difficult to serve if he's man handling his girlfriend instead."

Ginny let out a fake gasp of shock. "Hermione! I was under the impression it was for him to not be able to keep his _eyes_ off of you. I'm fighting the urge to be disturbed that this conversation is in fact about my prat of a brother but I am impressed that you could lie to me about your intentions whilst looking through various catalogs searching for this exact dress."

They laughed again and Hermione gave in, unwrapped the box and removed the strapless above the length red dress from inside the box.

She did her best not to be sad as she wiggled the crimson dress over her hips. This dress had been picked out specifically with Ron in mind. Last year she had over heard him telling Harry there was just something about a girl in red dress that he found irresistible. This comment had of course been made in regards to Anna Elliot who was all dressed up for a date with a Hufflepuff. Then this summer while at the burrow they had all gone swimming in the nearby pond. Ron had looked at her dumbfounded for quite a long time before looking away and mumbling something about her nice shoulders. She had worn the spaghetti strapped two piece in hopes of some reaction and was astounded he had only noticed her shoulders but to each his own right?

She adjusted the bodice in place and removed her bra while Ginny began to lace up the back. Why witches and wizard's wouldn't use zippers she didn't understand but when you can charms a lace up bodice to fit perfectly all night long I guess they don't think about other options. The bodice ended at the narrowest point on her waist and flounces of charmeuse draped delicately to a just a few inches above her knee.

She appraised herself in the mirror and pulled at the skirt a little so as to not show any of her thigh only to have her bodice lower. Ginny had laced it rather tightly causing her breasts to curve roundly out of top. Lowering the bodice down was not an option. She'd rather show all of Gryffindor tower her thighs than flash a nipple. So she hiked the bodice back up.

She continued to appraise what in her opinion was a massive over exposure of skin in the mirror. Her skin was too pale, how is it that Lavender was always tan? Was there a charm to give her at least the faint appearance of a healthy glow? She had chicken legs, awkward looking chicken legs and wobbling looking ankles. She closed her eyes as panic began to over whelm her.

"Gin, I can't do this. I look ridiculous. I feel like fool wearing this dress, the dress I dreamed about him seeing me in and _finally_ seeing me as more than the book worm who revises his essays. I'm suppose to feel pretty in it, but I just feel disappointed." Hermione felt tears prickling behind her eyelids, fighting with her self control to spill over.

"Stop it! This is _not_ who you are. You have stared down a vicious three headed dog, out witted Tom Riddle and his damn basilisk. You've changed the very fabric of time and stood up for what's right to a bunch of smarmy Death Eaters. Not to mention snogging Victor Krum in the muggle literature section of the library. I will not allow you to crumble to pieces because of a few bits of bare skin. Get over it and be a Gryffindor. Merlin's pants you might as well be a Slytherin for all whining I just listened to." Ginny was little scary at times but she knew her best friend was just giving her what she needed to do this, a fight. If there was anything that could steel her nerves it was the prospect of challenge.

"You're right I can do this, I will walk down to the common room and he will see that I am not going to mope over him and his twat of a girlfriend."

"That's the spirit Hermione! Now sit down so I can pluck your eyebrows."

_'Shite'_


End file.
